The present invention relates to a hanger providing easy visual access and accessibility and space-saving storage for folding walkers. More specifically, the invention allows multiple folded walkers to hang vertically next to one another with 180 degrees of freedom for rotation, thus allowing easy selection of a particular walker with desired accessories.
Folding walkers are utilized and stored in a variety of settings including: hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, extended care facilities, nursing homes, distributor warehouses, and universities with medically related programs. Typically, the walkers are designed to extend around three sides of a user, so that they provide stability to a user when walking. However, currently there is a lack of efficient storage for these assistive devices, which raises several concerns. For example, lack of efficient storage causes the walkers to take up a lot of storage space. Also, walkers that are recently put into a storage area block access to walkers that are already in the storage area, thus making it difficult to access the “first-in” walkers . . . resulting in a variety of concerns, such as poor sanitation, reduced healthcare productivity, and an excessively-large required allotted storage space. For example, depending on the setting and the frequency for which a folding walker is chosen as an appropriate assistive device, storage rooms can hold upwards of 40-50 folding walkers. Most frequently these walkers are folded-up and leaned against a back wall, stacking three to four walkers deep. This requires facilities to maintain a relatively large square-footage solely to accommodate and house their folding walkers.
Infection control is of upmost concern in all medically related facilities. Leaning multiple folding walkers against one another increases risk of disease transmission. Due to the lack of secure storage, it is common for multiple walkers to fall on the contaminated floor when an individual tries to retrieve a device. Also, “first-in” walkers may not be maintained as well as “last-in” walkers. Thus, again raising concern for infection control.
Walkers are provided with various accessories and designs to accommodate particular patient needs. Because of immense patient variability and need, healthcare providers must consider a variety of variables when prescribing the correct type of folding walker. For example, folding walkers can have standard four-point legs with different bottoms, such as large wheels or small wheels or legs with tennis balls to aid in gliding. Also, walkers have different brakes, different heights and sizes (e.g. ranging from pediatric to bariatric). Due to this variability and the current state of unorganized storage, it often takes healthcare providers a measurable amount of time to locate, retrieve and appropriately adjust a desired folding walker. This increases set-up and preparatory time, decreasing the amount of available time for therapeutic intervention. If the healthcare provider is unable to find the correct folding walker and utilizes a less effective model, this can cause long-term gait deviations, induce unnecessary cardiac stress, or possibly deter early patient mobility.
It is known to hang multiple folding walkers on a wall for storage. However, known current storage systems either include two rods or hooks that project outwardly from the wall. Three to four folded walkers can be hung on the rods/hooks, with the rods/hooks extending under the support bars of the walker. However, this method requires “stacking” the walkers consecutively, which limits availability to “first-in” walkers that are placed behind the “outer” walkers. Storage volume is compromised. Also, it is difficult to see the “first-in” walkers, thus making it difficult to find a particular walker.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.